


A Long, Long Time

by miceenscene



Series: Harvey & Naomi [2]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Birthdays, Bonding, Dating, Early Relationship, F/M, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Goats, Holding Hands, Open Mic Night, Pining, good night kisses, ten heart event
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-13 08:41:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21491500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miceenscene/pseuds/miceenscene
Summary: Well, there's one thing that Harvey knows for sure: Life will always be unexpected with the Farmer around.The story of Harvey & Naomi's one & a half, second, and third dates.
Relationships: Harvey & Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Female Player (Stardew Valley), Harvey/Player (Stardew Valley)
Series: Harvey & Naomi [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549033
Comments: 33
Kudos: 134





	1. Kiss Me Once

**Author's Note:**

> Technically a sequel to Baby It's Cold Outside, but it's not required reading to understand this piece. -K

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvey's trapped at Open Mic Night at the Stardrop Saloon. But perhaps some company will turn his evening around.

Open mic night at the Stardrop Saloon was perhaps the worst two and a half hours that Harvey had ever had to sit through in his entire life, and he once had to attend a lecture on phlegm. He’d forgotten that it was open mic night when he’d originally just stopped in to buy some dinner that didn’t come in a plastic tray. Somehow Gus had talked him into staying. Or rather, Gus had mildly suggested he should stay, and Harvey was struck with too much social anxiety to leave. At least his usual spot at the bar was far enough from the stage that if he made an effort, he didn’t have to comprehend Pierre’s stilted reading of  _ The Lady of Shalott. _

He didn’t often drink three glasses of wine on a Thursday night, but Gus had come around and refilled twice without asking. No doubt to keep him in his seat for a little while longer. Now his cheeks were warm and everything was mildly amusing, despite the tepid performances of his neighbors and friends. Though in the middle of Pierre’s second selection for the evening, the door opened and Harvey’s spirits immediately lifted.

Naomi stood in the doorway and quickly surveyed the unusually full saloon, dark eyes sweeping across the room. He could see her immediately start running a quick calculation in her head of the likelihood that she could escape. But Gus spotted her and intercepted before she could leave. Harvey couldn’t hear their short conversation, but it looked like he made her the same ‘offer’ of performing as he’d made Harvey. Naomi also refused, though with considerably less stammering than he’d managed.

She stopped off to hand Willy a package wrapped in brown paper, money quickly exchanging hands. Then Harvey was both parts delighted and surprised to see her turn and cut a very direct path for him.

“This seat taken?” Naomi asked when she arrived, gesturing to the stool next to Harvey with his coat thrown over it.

“No, no,” he quickly answered, switching his coat to the stool on the other side as she sat down next to him.

Gus appeared on the other side and started making Naomi’s usual, an old fashioned with two cherries. Not that Harvey had already noticed and looked up how to make such a drink in case the opportunity ever came his way. But he had. And he did.

“Offer still stands to perform something tonight,” Gus reminded the both of them as he dropped off the tumbler.

“Trust me, Gus. No one here wants to see me perform,” she replied, picking up her glass. 

“More wine, Doctor?” Gus asked, already pouring. He was walking away before Harvey could protest. Guess it was now four glasses of wine on a Thursday; he made a mental note to drink several cups of water before he went to bed. 

“Did you come to open mic, or did you get trapped too?” Naomi asked in a low voice so as not to disturb Emily currently in the middle of a very strange dance routine up on stage.

“Trapped.” He picked up the glass and took a sip. “Came for dinner, got four glasses of wine and two hours of some very poor performances instead.”

Naomi chuckled a little and flashed him a smile that sent his stomach for a quick loop around the valley. “I just wanted to drop off the squid that Willy wanted, been fishing all evening for it.”

“It should be over soon,” he offered. “Sooner or later, Gus will run out of victims.”

“One can only hope.”

They both watched the end of Emily’s performance and clapped politely; she’d obviously been having the time of her life up there and really enthusiasm was half the battle.

Naomi looked his way again. Maybe it was the wine--well, it was most definitely the wine, as just a simple look had sent his heart pattering off to the next town over. But even stone sober she still had an undeniable effect on him. His accidental overnight stay at her house the week before had done nothing to diminish it.

“I’m excited about tomorrow,” she said in the same low voice once the next act had started.

He turned to look at her, eyes going wide. “You are?” The words popped out of his mouth before he could stop them, unfortunately honest in their surprise.

But her quiet smile didn’t dim. “Of course. I wouldn’t have agreed to go on a date with you, Harvey, if I didn’t want to go on a date with you,” she pointed out.

He ducked his head, face heating up for more than one reason right now. “Right. I am too. Excited. And… wanting to date you.” What was  _ in _ this wine Gus had served him? Demerol?

“Can I know where we’re going?” she asked, resting her chin in her hand.

“Do you know that diner in Deer Creek? Busy Corner Cafe? I was thinking there, if you’d like. They have good pie.”

Her eyebrows raised. “We’re going someplace  _ other _ than Stardrop?” 

He chuckled. “Yeah. I figured it would be better, less public this way.” He played that sentence back in his head and lunged to amend it. “N-not that I’m ashamed of you, by any means--”

“Harv.” She rested a hand on his shoulder for a second and smiled. “It’s okay. I knew what you meant.”

“Right. Yes.” His face still wound up the same color as her crimson jacket.

“It’s a good idea to explore what this could be before we invite the rest of the town too.” She looked pointedly towards where half the town was watching Abigail give a very spirited flute solo. “Busy Corner sounds perfect.”

There were many things Harvey appreciated about Naomi, but chief among them was how even-keeled she was. The woman was absolutely unflappable. She once delivered herself to his clinic, calmly walking in the front door and asking for him to come downstairs, all while holding her own arm with a compound fracture in a dish towel. She would have made a good surgeon, Harvey had decided after that incident. Surgeon, or a general in the Marines perhaps. But instead she was a farmer and he was very grateful to have her around.

He turned when she did to watch the performance a little better. But any attempts at paying attention were immediately turned to ash as Naomi adjusted her arm and the back of her hand brushed against his. For a brief second, Harvey lost track of everything that wasn’t his left hand. His focus doubled when she brought her hand back a second later to deliberately rest it against his. The contact was slight, casual enough that anyone who saw could easily assume a coincidence. But it was threatening to catapult Harvey’s soul  _ out of his body _ .

It was a little juvenile, perhaps, to be so hyper focused on the meer inches of skin contact he had with her. But the simple sensation was burning through his whole arm, his whole person. He hadn’t realized how touch starved he was till this exact second. He looked towards her, but ostensibly she was paying complete attention to Maru and her robotic demonstration. Then, slowly, Naomi’s pinky started stroking along his, back and forth, over and over again, every pass immolating his sanity until it felt like he might melt into a puddle and slip between the floorboards.

Thankfully for Harvey’s now permanently red face, the open mic ended after Maru, letting both of them stand now and the contact end. Naomi finished what was left of the old fashioned, pulling the cherries off the skewer with her teeth, as she put her jacket back on. He should say something, or do something; he was very reticent to let the evening just end there.

“Heading back to the farm?” he asked. He could kick himself. Where else would she be going? It was nearly midnight.

She nodded, as she wound the scarf around her neck. “I should check in on my goat before I call it a night. Catherine is due any day now.” 

Her convention of naming all her farm animals after historical queens had led to a few very charming coincidences. Catherine the goat was his favorite, but Boudicca the chicken pulled a close second. 

Harvey followed Naomi out of the saloon, straining with every step for some excuse to squeeze a little more company out of the evening. But everything in his head though sounded rather crude or presumptuous.

She waited for the small collection of villagers to disperse before turning to him. “Can I walk you back to your door?” she asked, thoroughly surprising him. The porch light of the saloon was making her eyes sparkle. 

Wordlessly, he nodded. But instead of turning towards the square, she deliberately turned the other direction and walked a few paces away as if to head to the river. Oh, this was going to be a  _ walk _ , he breathlessly realized. Like in the old movies his mother used to watch. 

She glanced back over her shoulder. “You coming?”

“Yep.” He jogged the few paces to fall into step with her. 

Between the full moon and the mostly undisturbed snow it was nearly as bright as day near the river. The night was clear but there was no wind, making it cold but not unbearably so. Not that Harvey really noticed the chill too much. Between the wine and the Naomi he was running at a very toasty temperature.

It was only a few minutes into the walk when he felt her knuckles brush his. Once was an accident. Twice was less so. And about the fifth time, Harvey decided to take it as a sign. Boldly, he reached over and hooked his fingers around hers. Her fingers brushed along his before intertwining, their palms flat against each other.

“Is this okay?” he asked, glancing down at her.

She looked up at him with the same soft smile she’d used several times. He  _ really _ liked that smile. He felt her thumb take up the casual stroking pattern her pinky had earlier. 

“Yeah, it is.”

He cleared his throat and let himself focus for several minutes on how pleasant it was to hold her hand. It was warm and calloused, and fit perfectly inside his. Why had he not been holding her hand every single chance he got?

“So if you had to do open mic night, what would you do?” she asked, interrupting his thoughts, as they passed by the Mullner house. 

He grimaced, contemplating the very threatening thought of having to perform for others. “I could… give a hand washing lecture,” he eventually decided upon. He knew it was a very poor option, but it wasn’t like he could sing or play an instrument.

She chuckled. “It would probably have more rhythm than Pierre’s poetry.”

“Hopefully.” He smiled a little. “What about you? What would you do?”

She blew out a breath as she thought. “I’d probably wind up doing some very poor karaoke, none of my hobbies are very performative. Not unless people want to watch me knit half a scarf before I give it up without completing it.”

He looked down at her. “I didn’t know you could knit.”

“In theory. Have yet to finish a project so I’m not sure it counts.”

“It counts.”

She looked up at him and grinned. “Well, if my knitting counts, then you can certainly build an airplane model for open mic.”

“A riveting performance.”

All too soon the general store and his clinic came into view. Naomi’s horse, Kitty, was tied up outside the front door of the clinic, looking very content with her life between her blanket and the bag of oats she was eating from.

“Did you know we would go on a walk?” he asked, half teasing.

“I actually stopped by the clinic first, hoped to catch you since I didn’t see you this morning. But when it was all shuttered I figured you’d called it an early night.” She studied him for a moment then squeezed his hand. “Glad you didn’t.”

“Y-yeah. Me too.”

They stopped on the front step, footsteps echoing across the empty town square. Harvey looked down at Naomi, admiring the way tendrils of her hair had escaped her bun to frame her face. The edges of everything had gone pleasantly round and his fingertips were tingling. That was probably mostly the wine, but he knew at least some of it was her. The world just seemed a brighter place if she was near.

“Naomi… may I kiss you?” he asked before his brain could catch up to his mouth.

That quiet smile appeared on her beautiful face and she nodded. Still holding her hand, he stepped a little closer and cupped her cheek. He dipped down as she raised up on her toes and their mouths met in a breath-stealing kiss. The tip of her nose was cold against his cheek, but her lips were warm and so, so soft. 

When he pulled back, a smile lit up her whole face and oh, he just had to kiss her again because of it. He dropped her hand to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her closer to him, the other hand sliding back to tangle in her dark silky hair. She tasted like cherries, he dimly thought as the second kiss ended. He rested his forehead on hers, their shared breaths warming and fogging the air between them. 

“You…” she started, then swallowed and took a purposeful breath to slow her breathing. “You’re very good at that, Dr. Harvey.”

He chuckled, forehead still pressed to hers. “Rehearsal for tomorrow.”

Her eyes lifted to his and the look she gave him sent a shiver down his spine. “I’m looking forward to that performance then.”

A voice in his head immediately replied,  _ why wait _ , but he’d sobered up just enough to realize that it probably wasn’t a wise idea. “I’ve… had a lot of wine,” he replied in a deep sigh. He lifted his head now and shook it to clear the thoughts of how lovely it would be to just keep kissing her and never, ever, ever stop. 

She reached up and cupped his cheek, a thumb stroking along the corner of his mustache. “Be sure to drink some water. Don’t want to have a hangover for our date.”

He shook his head and rested his head into her palm. “I promise.”

“Good. See you tomorrow evening then.” She started to step back, but he quickly used the arm still around her waist to pull her back in for one last kiss--more rushed than the others but no less sweeter for it.

“Good night.” Regretfully, he let go of her and stepped back. She gave him one last smile, then untied Kitty and got up in the saddle in one smooth motion. A rather attractive feat his still addled brain noted.

“Water, bed,” she reminded him, adjusting the reins in her hands.

“Water, bed,” he replied. 

Naomi winked at him and then nudged Kitty into a lope towards the edge of town. Harvey watched her go until she disappeared amongst the trees. Water and bed, he reminded himself, fumbling his keys out of his pocket. Tomorrow was going to be a very important day, he could already tell. And he wanted to be ready for it.


	2. Then Kiss Me Twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harvey goes on a first/second date, finds it easier to believe that he is needed rather than wanted, and catches feelings, BIG TIME.

Harvey rethreaded the tie under the collar of his shirt and began mentally reciting his logical rationales for about the thirteenth time that evening. This date was going to go fine. He’d double checked everything--how to get there, the cafe’s hours, even calling ahead to find out what kinds of pies they were serving. (They were out of banana cream. Hopefully it wouldn’t be too large of an issue.) His outfit was… well, the best he could probably manage. He knew, at least, that Naomi liked the green jacket. So there was that. If nothing else.

As he tightened the knot on the tie perhaps a little tighter than necessary, he huffed a frustrated breath.  _ Why _ was he so nervous about this?? He’d already been on two practical dates with Naomi already. He’d held her hand, he’d kissed her four  _ very _ enjoyable times,  _ he’d even shared her bed _ . WHY couldn’t he just take the overwhelming evidence at face value and feel even a little bit confident that she liked him too?? 

He stared at his reflection for a moment and then yanked the tie out again. They were just going to a cafe, who wears a tie to a cafe? He stopped and looked down at the tie in his hand. But would she think he wasn’t taking this date seriously enough if he didn’t wear a tie? This was the same argument he’d been having with himself for the past twenty minutes. The same argument that was about to make him late, he realized glancing up at the clock. Hurriedly, he tossed his tie on the kitchen table, grabbed his jacket and headed down the stairs. But he stopped half-way down, and with a sigh he ran back up to snatch the tie before dashing out of his clinic. 

Despite it being just barely past five, the sun was nearly completely set. Thankfully there wasn’t any prediction of bad weather for the evening--he’d checked that too. Just a cold winter evening, the perfect kind to spend with someone you care about. And he did care about Naomi, a great deal--a terrifying amount, honestly. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this about anyone. Or rather, he could. And it hadn’t turned out well last time.

Purposefully moving past that mental off-ramp, Harvey stopped the car outside of the farmhouse. He was here. He was going to go on a date with Naomi. For a brief minute, a wave of fizzy glee washed over him. He took one last minute to put the tie back on and then try to argue his hair into a semi-brushed state. He wasn’t very successful. In fact, he was pretty sure it wound up fluffier than when he started. Wonderful. Though the tie was a good choice. ...Yes?  _ Yes _ . He picked up the succulent from the front seat and got out of the car, blowing out a steadying breath.

He’d been wanting to get flowers. But it was the dead of winter, and the selection at Joja left much to be desired. However there was one small aloe vera plant that was still going strong, so he’d bought that instead. Though now, as he was heading to the front door, he wondered if it wouldn’t have been better to just have shown up without any flowers at all.

He was stopped before he reached the porch by Chicken, who was stretched out, taking up the entire step, and looking mightily pleased with himself.

“Good evening, Chicken.” Harvey scratched the spot between Chicken’s ears, making his back arch up and reveal that he was laying down on top of a pair of shiny black women’s flats. Harvey frowned down at the shoes, and managed to wiggle them out from under Chicken. They were probably Naomi’s… but what was she doing running around barefooted in winter?

“Harvey!” Naomi’s voice called from behind him. He turned, hands full of an aloe vera plant and shoes, to see her standing inside the pen around the barn. A bubbly thrill shot through him at just the sight of her. After a quick internal debate, he decided to perhaps leave the shoes where they were. Chicken would keep them safe.

As he approached the barn, Harvey noticed that Naomi was wearing a very pretty teal dress under her large brown overcoat and her purple farm boots. Ah, maybe that was where the shoes had come from. She hopped over the fence and met him before he’d made it halfway to the barn.

“I am so, so sorry,” she began, jogging towards him and holding out her hands apologetically. The sparkling joy immediately crystallized, threatening to shatter before she continued speaking. “Catherine’s gone into labor. And I can’t leave her right now.”

“ _ Oh _ .” She looked absolutely heart-broken, but Harvey had never been more relieved in his entire life. He huffed out a short breath and pressed a hand to his chest. “Oh, thank Yoba,” he said, half under his breath.

She stopped her apology, confusion in her expression. “What?” she asked, sounding a little hurt.

He lurched towards her, a hand reaching for her shoulder but not actually making contact. “ _ No no _ , I wasn’t--I just… I thought you’d… changed your mind,” he admitted with a wince.

Realization dawned across her face and she took his outstretched hand, giving it a squeeze before letting it go. “Oh, Harvey, no. I didn’t--there really is a birthing goat in my barn right now.” As if to back up her claim, a very mournful bleating came from the red building.

He nodded, relief turning to disappointment that puddled under his shoes. “Is she going to be okay?”

“I think so…” She looked over her shoulder, knitting her eyebrows together. “Honestly, I’m not sure. Never been around anything that’s been giving birth before.”

Harvey had always been a helper. Five years old, he would always help his teacher stack the chairs or collect the pictures before recess. That desire hadn’t changed in thirty years. It was probably one of the reasons he’d pursued medicine to begin with. 

“I have. I could…” he started, making her look back at him. “I mean, it’s been a decent while and I obviously studied people… not… goats…” It dawned on him that this, while a well meant gesture, was perhaps one of the more stupid things he’d ever said to Naomi. And that was a  _ fierce  _ competition. “Actually--”

“That’d be  _ wonderful _ .”

His head snapped up, quickly stammering to back away from his offer. “Wait, wait. I don’t know what I could even--”

“Harvey, up till this point it’s been just my grandfather’s ancient animal husbandry books and my best guess. At least you know a version of this.”

“Goats are a little different from people last I checked--” he pushed back.

“She’s not just a pet,” Naomi interrupted him, her words unusually hurried and fervent. “This is my  _ livelihood _ and I know I’m out of my depth here but there’s no one in town that I would trust more--just. Please?”

The thought suddenly struck him that Naomi was worried, maybe even scared right now. She not only trusted him enough to help her with this crisis, she trusted him enough to show her fear. He felt… honored and determined to help.

“If you think I can help, then of course I will,” he replied with an encouraging smile. Hope blossomed over her face and she closed the distance between them.

“Thank you,” she said into his chest as she hugged him. As he was still holding the plant, he couldn’t return the hug as well as he’d like. But he was able to tuck his face into her hair for a moment--honeysuckle and fresh hay. 

When she let go, she frowned a little. “Why are you holding a cactus?”

“Ah--” His cheeks instantly colored and tentatively, he held it out to her. “I… wanted to get flowers but… they looked bad--so I thought aloe vera would be good alternative because it can be used to alleviate minor burns and even has some antibacterial properties and I should have just stuck with the carnations--”

She stopped him by taking the pot out of his hands and cradling it to her chest. The smile she gave him stopped his heart for two full beats. “Thank you. I love it.” She held out her hand. “Let me introduce you to Catherine.”

Happily, he took her hand and followed her into the barn. It was larger than he expected inside, and cozily warm thanks to the space heaters scattered about. Most of the animals were in stalls along the walls, though there was one very round goat waddling about the wide center aisle and looking rather miserable.

“That is a very pregnant goat,” Harvey commented, taking off his jacket. Naomi took it from him and hung it on a nail in the wall next to her own, before carefully placing the aloe vera in the window sill. 

“Poor thing’s been like this all afternoon. The book says that once delivery starts it can be over quickly, but until then she’s just going to be miserable.”

Harvey took off his sport coat and tie and rolled up his sleeves. “Well, at least that translates cross-species.”

Naomi laughed once and knelt down as Catherine waddled towards her to rest its head on her shoulder. She ran her hands down the sides and made quiet comforting noises. Catherine appeared to appreciate it, though it was difficult to tell, as it was a goat.

“Where’s your grandfather’s book?” he asked, looking around the barn. She pointed to a table about half way up the aisle. It was scattered with tools and buckets and in the middle was a very old book, already opened to the section on goats. Feeling a bit like he was in some strange version of med school again, Harvey quickly gave himself the world’s fastest crash course on goat gestation and delivery. 

It only took him twenty minutes to finish the entire chapter and by the end of it, Harvey very much understood why Naomi was worried. He felt woefully underprepared should there be any kind of trouble. Still, he’d gone through over a decade of training to be level headed and decisive in a crisis, so he would be. If nothing else, he could at least assuage a few of Naomi’s fears, and perhaps help Catherine in the process. 

“Right now, it appears that we’re just in a waiting game,” he said, returning to Naomi’s side. “She appears to be in final stages, but obviously not in delivery yet. And we should just let nature take its course until then.” He started to kneel down next to her, but Naomi put up a hand to stop him.

“You don’t have to ruin your nice clothes--” she started.

But he just purposefully sat down next to her in the dirt and the hay and gave Catherine a comforting pat. “They can always be washed.”

Naomi leaned towards him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, making it automatically warm under her touch. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier, but you look handsome. I liked your tie.”

Now his cheeks were really warm. He reached over and picked a bit of hay from her only half-curled hair. “You’re… you’re beautiful,” he murmured, loud enough for her to hear.

She grinned sardonically. “Even covered in hay and goat hair?”

He nodded. “Especially covered in hay and goat hair.”

For a while they just sat, side by side, and speculated about how long it would take before the real show actually began as Catherine continued to waddle about the barn. It was a little uncomfortable, sitting on the floor, but Harvey was loathed to move, especially once Naomi dropped her head to rest on his shoulder.

“This is… pretty rough as far as dates go,” she said with a sigh. “I am sorry, again.”

“Once my sleeve caught on fire during a first date. So this is a definite improvement over that.” He could feel her torso shake a little with a chuckle. “If this is the worst first date you’ve been on, you’re doing pretty good.”

“No, no, the worst first date I’ve ever been on was with a guy who took me to his mother’s fiftieth birthday party as our first date.” 

Harvey had to laugh. “Really?”

“Yep. And he tried to pretend like it was just a normal thing to do.”

“So what happened?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Eh, we dated for a few months but then he got weird.”

“What?”

She reached over and squeezed his thigh. “Just kidding. I called a cab twenty minutes after we arrived and snuck out the back door. Haven’t seen him since.”

They both laughed. Feeling more relaxed now, Harvey leaned back on his hands, letting his head rest against hers. They fit really well together, he noticed, looking down at their outstretched legs. 

“Now the  _ best _ first date I ever had…” she continued in a thoughtful tone. “Once this guy I really liked stopped by my house to return a bunch of pickle jars I gave him and he wound up being snowed in with me and we had to share my bed. But he was a perfect gentleman… and really nice to cuddle with too.”

Harvey blushed slightly then moved away a little to see her better. “You consider that our first date?”

She met his gaze and shrugged a shoulder. “Why not? It was pretty date-y. And if it takes off some of the stress I know you have to have been feeling about tonight, then sure.”

Honestly, it did take away a bit of the pressure. Even if the reality of everything hadn’t changed.

“Besides, everyone knows the live goat birth is the second date,” she continued with a smirk.

“So then what happens on the third?” he replied, chuckling a little. She just raised an eyebrow and widened the smirk.  _ Oh _ . He’d walked right into that one, hadn’t he? Immediately he felt his face heat up and he looked away, ostensibly to check on Catherine again. Though he looked back when he felt her hand cover his.

“Jokes aside, we can take this at our own pace,” she said in a much gentler tone. “There’s no rush or schedule, right?”

He nodded. “Right.”

She studied his still pink face for a moment. “I like you, Harvey. All of you,” she stated very plainly. So straightforward that Harvey was pretty sure he’d had a hard time ever disputing that fact to himself again. “That’s all you have to know or worry about right now.”

A smile crinkled up the corners of his eyes. “You know me pretty well…”

She tucked her head back on his shoulder. “I’m trying to.”

“I like all of you too,” he said after a quiet minute had passed. She looked up a him, a smile hiding in the set of her mouth. Whether it was the sign of her trust earlier or her barefaced admittance that she liked him, he felt bold enough to lean over and kiss the tip of her nose. She giggled and returned the gesture, making that fizzy joy come surging back.

But before he could kiss her again, Catherine let out a very loud and long bleat. Ah, delivery had actually begun. 

In the end, it was a little similar to his few stints in obstetrics. He was there to prevent potential problems, but nature and instinct were doing the heavy lifting. Tiny hooves appeared, then a head, and then, finally, a shaky, soaked kid popped out into Naomi’s waiting arms. A celebratory, elated laugh fell out of her as she carefully cleared the newborn’s nose, as the book had instructed, and dried it off. 

“Look at you!” she said, holding the kid up for a moment of inspection. Her expression softened into pure wonder. “Oh, look at you.”

_ Look at her _ , Harvey thought, watching breathlessly and feeling every single beat of his heart as she cradled the tiny animal.

Naomi placed the kid in front of Catherine so mother and child could bond and stepped back to join Harvey on a nearby hay bale. They watched in quiet awe as the kid opened its eyes for the first time and bleated up at its doting mother. Naomi pressed a few fingers to her mouth and Harvey could see her trying to blink away tears. Quickly, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close as she chuckled damply.

“I’m crying over a goat,” she sniffled, tilting her head back to prevent further escape. 

“Life is beautiful, no matter what form it takes.” 

She looked over at him and gave him a shaky smile as she patted his knee. “Thank you.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “You realize I didn’t do anything, right?”

But she shook her head. “You did more than you know.” They looked over as the new kid bleated again, louder this time, making both of them laugh a little. “She’ll need a name. Any ideas?”

“For the daughter of Catherine the goat?” He thought for a moment, trying to come up with an answer that fit her naming convention. “Anastasia? She was a descendent of Catherine, though she never did ascend to the throne--”

Naomi squeezed his knee. “I love it. Welcome to the world, Anastasia.”

They stayed and watched for the next hour till little Anastasia took her first wobbling steps. She made it about three paces and then fell over, but Catherine was right there to nudge her back up for another try. Though eventually Catherine settled down for the night and Naomi let out a contented sigh.

“I’ll check on them in a few hours,” Naomi said as she stood and brushed the stray bits of hay from her dress. “Are you hungry?”

He was  _ starving _ , he realized now that she’d mentioned it. “Yes. But I--” He quickly checked his watch as he followed her to the barn door. “I think Busy Corner’s going to be closed.”

She nodded. “I have some food in the house, if you don’t mind cooking with me again.”

“ _ No _ , no--” He cleared his throat and tried to reel back the overeager tone. “Not at all. Uh, please.” She gave him a very amused look as she put her coat back on and picked up the aloe vera. 

Hand in hand, they returned to her farmhouse, rescuing the shoes from the porch that Chicken had abandoned in search of warmer spots. It felt even more homey on a second visit, Harvey thought as he stepped inside. While he hung up the coats, Naomi set the aloe vera in the middle of her kitchen table, right where it would catch some morning sun in a few hours. 

“Alright, let’s see what we have…” she said, mostly to herself, as she opened the fridge. She’d taken off her boots at the door and was hopping from foot to foot on the chilled wooden floor as she examined the contents with a frown. “Do you like spaghetti?”

“I love spaghetti,” Harvey said as he drifted to the same chair he’d sat in last time.

“Good. I still have some sauce leftover.” She hip checked the door shut and set a container down on the table next to him. “Oh, I almost forgot--” Without warning, she cupped his cheeks and laid a solid kiss on him. For a moment, his hands fluttered about as he was quite taken off guard, but they settled on her waist around the time she pulled away. “I realized that I didn’t properly greet you when you arrived,” she informed him, still holding his face. Her eyes were twinkling as she just looked at him for a leisurely few seconds. “Hi.”

“H-hey,” he breathed, melting into her hands. She brushed a few curls away from his forehead and pressed another kiss square in the middle. Oh… oh boy. She stepped away to pick up the containers and start dinner, leaving him at the table--his chest so full of sparkly feelings he was a little worried he might start glowing.

The Longing was back, he realized as he could do nothing but stare at her. But it was different this time. It wasn’t just a want… it was a plan. Holy Yoba. He wanted to marry Naomi. The idea was so obvious it was as if it’d been sitting in his lap the entire time. Obviously, he wasn’t sure if she wanted to marry him, but maybe someday she’d want that too. Hopefully. As for his part--he was settled, completely and totally, like he’d never been sure of anything else in his entire life. He could very nearly laugh. It had taken him twenty minutes to decide whether or not to put on a tie this evening, but in the space of a few seconds--on their first date no less--he knew that Naomi was the one for him. Perhaps it was love; there could hardly be any other explanation.

“You okay?” she asked, making him blink and come back to the wonderful present. “You went somewhere else for a minute there.” 

He rose to his feet and crossed to her, unsure exactly of what his plan was. “I’m…” He searched her face for a second. The thought crossed his mind that maybe, hopefully, someday he could wake up every morning with this being the first sight he saw. “I’m wonderful,” he replied with a dreamy smile on his face. He quickly pulled her into a hug, holding her tight and safe and feeling more at home than he had in a very long time.


	3. Then Kiss Me Once Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "In fanfiction you can live out your wildest fantasies, like giving perfect presents to your loved ones."

The truest sign of adulthood that Harvey had ever encountered was the fact that he was spending his birthday filling out insurance forms. Some part of him was a little disappointed to be spending the day alone in his clinic, arguing with a very rickety website that kept crashing just as he was ready to press submit. But mostly he was resigned to the unfortunate reality of adult birthdays. After the website crashed for the fourth time, he shut the computer off and walked away, half intending to refill his coffee and half just needing to get a momentary change of scenery. 

Holding the refreshed mug up to his face, he savored the warmth for a few moments. The aroma was rather flat, as he’d made the pot several hours ago by this point. But in the dead of winter, coffee was more about the temperature than the taste… well, and the caffeine too. Spirits a little bit bolstered, he decided to give the insurance site one more go. If it failed again, he’d call it an early day. Call it a birthday present to himself, since he wasn’t really expecting any others. 

He settled back behind the computer in the front lobby and pulled up the website. But before he could get very far, the electronic chime above the front door sounded. As he was in the middle of a very long string of numbers that had to be inputted exactly right, he didn’t look up right away.

“Hey, handsome,” a smiling voice said.

_ That _ got him to look up. A dopey smile dawned on his face at the sight of Naomi, wearing her usual red coat and her elbows resting on his front counter.

“H-hey… be--sw--hon-Naomi.” He winced. How had she just slipped in the term of endearment so naturally? Maybe if he’d just stuck with one he’d have more success. Next time. Honey… Yes. Next time.

Thankfully, she didn’t seem even a little bothered by his awkward attempt and subsequent abandonment of a pet name. “Working hard?”

He glanced towards the website, which had already done him the favor of crashing early. “Not particularly… Sundays are rather slow.”

A glittering smile spread across her face, rather like a cat would look at an unsuspecting koi pond. Though he doubted the fish were so happy to be caught as he was by Naomi. “Can I steal you away for the afternoon then? Do you have anything that can’t wait?” she asked.

“Nothing that’ll suffer for being pushed off to tomorrow.” A squiggle of anticipation filled his stomach. “Why?”

“Since it’s your birthday, I thought it’d be nice to go on a picnic.” She tilted her head side to side as she continued. “And I have a few more surprises up my sleeve. But we’ll start with the picnic. Sound good?”

The squiggle turned into an entire fireworks display. She’d remembered his birthday. Granted, it was posted just outside the front door of his clinic, but no one else had made mention of it so far. He hadn’t been expecting anything from her; they’d only been on two and a half dates so far. So he nodded eagerly. “Yes, that sounds--yes.”

“Now, it is winter,” she cautioned, putting up a hand that he reactively grabbed. She looked at their awkwardly entangled hands for a moment and laughed, before continuing. “But if you layer up and we sit in the sun it shouldn’t be too bad. Plus, I packed warm food.” She squeezed his hand again as he started nodding. “I’ll meet you out at the car, okay?”

“Okay!”

Five very hurried minutes later, Harvey put a note on the front door of the clinic of how he could be reached in an  _ emergency _ , and only an emergency. Normally, he didn’t put qualifiers on when his patients could reach out to him. But taking a true afternoon off in nearly five years of practicing in Pelican Town didn’t seem so bad. And it was his birthday after all.

Naomi was waiting by the car, as promised, a large picnic basket and a pile of blankets at her feet. She smiled as she saw him, he noticed. 

“Layered enough?” Harvey asked, holding out his arms for inspection. He hoped so, he was wearing nearly every thermal he owned. The one bonus to the multiple layers of wool was that it very effectively hid how soft he’d gone around the middle. 

Instead of inspecting, however, she took the opportunity to give him a hug, arms wrapped tightly around his torso and face pressed into the front of his jacket. He rested his chin on the top of her head as he hugged her back. Most everyone else he’d ever dated had been significantly shorter than him, which was charming in its own way. But he enjoyed that she fit perfectly just under his chin, and that he didn’t have to lean down so far to kiss her. Which he didn’t indulge in, only because they were still in town and really this hug was pushing their luck already.

“I’d say you’ll survive,” she said as she stepped back, twirling his keys around her finger. She must have fished them from his pocket during the hug. “I’ll drive, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

Harvey was very happy to relax and watch the countryside roll by as Naomi took them out of Pelican Town. He’d expected them to head to the park in Grampleton, but instead, she seemed to be driving even further into the wilderness. She seemed confident enough in where she was going that he didn’t ask. But when she pulled off to the side of the gravel road they’d been driving on for a solid ten minutes, admittedly his confidence wavered for a moment.

As Harvey got out of the car, he looked up and down the deserted road. There was a slight rise on the other side, but otherwise, nothing but a rusting wire fence. Naomi handed him the stack of blankets and gave him a very purposeful look.

“Just trust me, birthday boy,” she said with a slight smile as she pulled out the basket. She headed for the rise with Harvey following after her. As they reached the top, he realized why she’d brought him all the way out here.

This was a highpoint for most of the surrounding land and a picturesque view of the winter countryside was spread out below them. At first glance, he assumed it was Cherry Wine Farm at the base of this hill, but then he realized the house was in the wrong place and the orchard was missing.

“That’s not Cherry Wine,” he said, looking over at her. 

She shook her head. “No. That’s Ernest’s land. He’s my next neighbor over the mountain.” She turned and set down the basket. “He and his husband have been running their farm for several decades, gave me a lot of pointers in the early days.”

Between the two of them it didn’t take long to set out the blankets--one for cushion and another for warmth. Harvey very contentedly cozied up to Naomi as she opened the basket, peeking over her shoulder to sneak a glimpse inside. But she quickly shut the lid before he could see anything, giving him a sly smile.

“Do you want your present now or after we eat?” she asked.

He blinked at her. “There’s a present?”

“Of course, it is your birthday,” she reminded him.

He stared at her for a moment, thoroughly surprised that she’d not only remembered his birthday but also gotten him a gift. “N… now?”

She grinned and opened the basket to hand him a package wrapped in pretty blue wrapping paper. It squished slightly between his hands as he just held it for a minute, alternating looking at the gift and Naomi. How lucky was he to have met her? He almost didn’t care what was inside, just the idea was nearly enough. Nearly. He unwrapped the gift, careful not to tear the paper--much to Naomi’s amusement. Though when he saw what she got him, his eyes doubled in size.

It was a real brown leather aviator’s hat, lined with warm sheepskin. As he held it up, something fell into his lap and he realized that it even came complete with a pair of vintage looking goggles. He slapped a hand over his mouth,  _ utterly _ speechless and doing everything in his power to keep the tears that had gathered from escaping.

“I saw this in a little store when I was in Zuzu last summer and knew immediately I had to get it for you,” she explained, shoving the wrapping paper back in the basket. “I really hope it f--Harvey… are you okay?”

She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as he nodded rapidly. He bit his lip and clutched the very, very thoughtful gift to his chest as he felt a tear escape despite his best efforts.

“Oh, hun.” She scooted closer to him and wrapped him in another hug, cradling his head to her chest as he laughed damply. “I didn’t mean to make you cry…”

“I love it,” he assured her, sitting up and wiping the tear that escaped. “It’s the best birthday gift… ever.”

She smiled up at him and leaned towards him to press a kiss to his cheek, soft and sweet. It was perfect and did nothing to abate his tears.

“Try it on for me?” she asked as she sat back.

The hat slid on like it was made for him. The goggles, however, didn’t fit over his glasses. So he tore those off and snapped the goggles on. He knew he was smiling like a little kid, or an idiot perhaps, but he couldn’t stop the elated giggle that tore out of him.

“Who is th--” Naomi gasped dramatically. “Why it’s World Renowned Flying Ace, Harvey Daniels, back from being the first man to circumnavigate the globe  _ twice _ in a single flight!”

He blushed and ducked his head, reality and caution finally catching up to his enthusiasm. “Probably look pretty silly--”

But she lifted his chin. “You look very dashing and since I’m the only one of the two of us that can see right now, you have to take my word for it.”

He slipped the goggles up to his forehead so he could put his glasses back on. The idiot smile was back, but he didn’t try to stop it this time. Instead he took one of Naomi’s hands between his, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

“Thank you,” he said, feeling like it wasn’t enough to encapsulate how grateful and touched he was. “Truly. I… I love it.”

“You’re most welcome,” she replied, her gentle smile lighting up her expression.  _ Oh _ , how he loved that smile. “Well, Ace, would you like some pumpkin soup?”

“Yes, please, ...Goose.”

She chuckled. “Ah, I understood that reference.”

The lunch was absolutely perfect. Pumpkin soup and crunchy pickles and even though the cinnamon chip muffins had gone a little soggy from the condensation, they were still delicious. There was a whole thermos of piping hot coffee that they traded back and forth. Despite the layers and the warm food, the two of them still wound up sharing a third blanket, pressed tightly together for warmth. Not that Harvey minded that one iota. Conversation flowed freely and easily, like it always did when Naomi was around. All in all, he was certain it was the best birthday he’d had in a very long while.

Harvey was in the middle of a story from his med school days when he stopped mid-sentence as he heard a very particular droning come from the sky. Immediately, he craned his head up, vision sweeping across the clear blue sky in a regulated pattern to look for the source.

“Naomi! Look!” He pointed up at a yellow biplane flying above them. It was making a very lazy loop over the farm and their picnic. He watched, utterly entranced, till it disappeared from view behind some trees. Then he noticed that she’d been watching him, not the plane, that same gentle smile on her face.

He felt his face start to heat up, but then he put something together. “This is why we’re having a picnic here, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Told you I had some surprises in store.” She took a sip of her soup. “Do you know what kind of plane that was?”

“A biplane,” he answered, looking up to see if it would possibly be coming back.

“What kind of biplane?”

“A… Boeing-Stearman Model 75… probably N2S.” He cringed, no one liked a know-it-all. And even less people liked a know-it-all  _ nerd _ .

“What’s the N2S mean?” Naomi asked, sounding genuinely curious, after taking another sip.

He hesitated, looking at her now.  _ No one _ had ever wanted to know anything about this strange fixation of his. Ever. Especially not anyone he’d been dating. But Naomi did. Heck, Naomi had not only noticed his appreciation, but obviously done research and then brought him out here specifically so he could see the plane. His chest warmed now to rival his face.

“It’s a designation,” he explained, hesitantly at first but then with more fluidity as he went. “Most of the Stearman still in existence were manufactured for the Navy during the second world war. N2S was the second ‘run’ of planes, much larger production scale than the first. They called them yellow perils back then.”

“Because of the color scheme?” she asked. He nodded and she looked impressed. “Learn new things everyday.”

He looked up as he heard the plane approach for a second pass, but this time he kept glancing Naomi’s way. She just calmly watched the plane circle overhead and smirked when she caught him looking her way.

“You’ll have to explain some more of this aviation stuff to me, give me a crash course. My knowledge is very much limited.”

She said it so casually, as if he wasn’t completely flabbergasted at the very idea. Oh, sure, at one point in his life he’d had some wild fantasies about meeting the woman of his dreams at air show--but he’d long since accepted that this was a hobby he would probably never be able to share. “You… you want to learn?”

She looked his way and nodded. “Of course. It’s important to you and you’re important to me. Therefore it’s important to me too.”

Darn it all, she was about to make him tear up twice in one day. He looked up at the Stearman to give him something else to focus on than this incredibly thoughtful and wonderful woman he was dating. She squeezed his hand and didn’t say anything as they watched the plane circle the farm in a very particular pattern.

“I think it’s coming in for a landing,” Harvey said as it made a third left turn. 

“Right on time,” Naomi replied. He tore his eyes away from the descending plane to look her way, but she just stood and brushed off the backs of her pants. What did she mean?

She held out a hand to him. “You ready for your last surprise?”

He looked between her and the plane, which had landed in the empty field nearest to them. “You--you mean…” he stammered as she hauled him to his feet. 

“Ernest, the guy who owns the farm? That’s his plane,” she explained as she tossed what was left of their picnic in the basket. “He crop dusts my fields for me every spring and fall. And I mentioned the last time I saw him that my friend likes planes…”

She left him on the hilltop momentarily to take the blankets and basket back to the car. Harvey watched the plane taxi nearer to them, clenching and unclenching his hands. He was excited, obviously… but also terrified at the same time. It was so thoughtful, what she’d done for him. But--

“And I know you’re not the biggest fan of heights,” Naomi said in a gentle tone as she joined him again. “So Ernest is happy to let me take a million pictures of you in the cockpit and you and him can chat for hours about the painstaking restoration process.” She looked up at him for a moment, no doubt seeing the fear and anticipation warring on his face. “Or, if you want, he will fly us around the valley. But the choice is up to you.”

Oh, this gesture was even more thoughtful than he originally assumed. She knew him, she understood his failings, and yet, she wasn’t judging them. He was scared, yes. Terrified. But as he looked at her, he realized he wanted to be brave, like her, for her. And also… he really really  _ really _ wanted to ride in that plane.

He took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “Let’s fly.”

A gleeful grin broke out over her face and he couldn’t help but return it. 

It was as they reached the bottom of the hill and Naomi was waving to Ernest that Harvey realized he was still wearing his aviator hat. Loved it though he did, he wasn’t exactly thrilled about a stranger seeing him wearing it. Though as Ernest hopped out of his plane and bounded towards him, Harvey realized he was wearing a hat of a similar fashion.

“Hey, Naomi!” Ernest hollered while he was still a ways off. 

Back when Noami first took over Cherry Wine, Harvey had only heard that a new farmer had moved into the old abandoned farm with no further description. He’d definitely pictured a person much more like Ernest than Naomi. The man was both ageless and ancient all at the same time.

“Nice to see you again, Ernest.” Naomi shook his hand and stood tall under the satisfying pat Ernest gave to her shoulder. “This is Harvey, my friend that I mentioned.”

“Harvey!” Ernest declared, a wall of enthusiasm buffeting off of him. He clasped Harvey’s hand in a strong yet friendly handshake. “Nice to meet you. I like the hat. Well, am I giving you two a ride this afternoon?”

Naomi glanced Harvey’s way. Last chance to back out. Ignoring voices that told him this was a bad idea, Harvey smiled. “Yes, sir.”

“Excellent! Come this way and I’ll introduce you to Gertie, the only woman in my life.”

Gertie was a Boeing-Stearman Model 75 N2S-3, Harvey noted, with a bit of pride at getting it right from a distance. She absolutely gleamed, all yellow and chrome in the clear winter sun, and Harvey couldn’t help but run a hand along the wing as they approached the fuselage. What he wouldn’t give to have a plane of his own…

Technically, Gertie was only a two seater. But Ernest assured them that the two of them could squeeze into the front seat, which did make Harvey feel a little better about the whole idea.

“So we’re in the front?” Naomi asked, as she slipped on the aviator cap that Ernest had lent her. It was going to be exceedingly cold up in the air.

Harvey nodded, helping her buckle it under her chin. “The pilot sits in the rear so the gunner could be in the front.”

“That seems counter-intuitive.”

“Take off and landing are done blind, yes. But the pilots trained for that,” he answered. Though he was more reminding himself than her.

It was a tight squeeze to get both of them in the front compartment, a fact that obviously amused Ernest and made Harvey blush more than a few times during the seating process. 

“Cozy?” he asked once Naomi had been seated.

“Something like that,” she replied with a smile, settling into the space between Harvey’s knees and buckling them both in. 

Ernest chuckled. “Now this is the joystick,” he explained, pointing to the handle just in front of them. “You’ll see it moving because it’s tandem with mine in the back. But just leave it alone. Though once we’re airborne I can let you steer some, if you like.”

“Um,” Harvey said as Naomi said, “Yes!”

“Alright then. I’ll tap your shoulder, Harvey, when it’s time.” Ernest hopped off the wing and jumped into the rear cockpit. Oh wow, they were actually going to do this. 

Naomi squeezed Harvey’s hand, looking at him as best she could over her shoulder. “You okay?”

He nodded. He would be. He wanted this. Though as the engine rumbled to life and the propellor started, he felt his blood pressure sky rocket. Ernest taxied to the far end of the field. As he did final checks, Naomi wrenched Harvey’s hands off his knees and pulled his arms around her middle, purposefully leaning back against him. Her solid presence took the manic edge off his heart rate, but he still was taking very conscious breaths. The hum of the engine rose in volume and speed, thrumming through the floorboards and the seat, as they began to speed up for take off.

Harvey felt the moment they left the ground with a lurch of his stomach. Reactively, he ducked his head into the crook of Naomi’s neck, clutching to her for dear life. She squeezed his hand again and reached back to pat the top of his head, but thankfully didn’t try to stop him. Unhelpfully, his brain was reminding him of exactly how few struts and a bit of fiberglass were between him and certain death at the moment as they ascended.

The wind was biting, cutting through all the thermal layers Harvey was wearing and rendering them nearly useless. His heart was pounding, his whole body was trembling--honestly, he was very much regretting the choices that got him up here. He didn’t bother even trying to open his eyes. Great. His first and probably only chance to ride in a plane like this and he was going to spend the whole flight with his face against Naomi’s neck. There were worse ways to spend an hour, granted, but his stomach curdled at the thought of how cowardly he was being right now.

As he felt the plane level off, Harvey took a very deep, long breath. Then another. He could do this… just open his eyes. He didn’t even have to move, just open his eyes. Another breath and he yanked his eyes open. Between his lack of glasses and how he was positioned, all he saw was a blurry version of Naomi’s hair. Okay, eyes open, good start, now look up. He lifted his head a bit, and all he could see was blue sky surrounding them. Not so bad. He made himself sit up slowly, not looking anywhere else but out or up. Just blue sky, nothing to be afraid of.

Naomi leaned over to look down and he saw a smile curve her cheek. She was obviously enjoying herself. If he could just calm down, he could too. Okay. He could do this, be brave like Naomi. Just one look down and then back to the blue sky. Cautiously, he looked over the edge of the plane, catching just a blurry glimpse of the ground zipping past below. His grip tightened around her again. Dear  _ Yoba _ , they were high off the ground. Immediately, he went back to the blue sky, waiting for his heart rate to even out before trying again. 

This time, he made himself actually look. For a few moments all he could see was the distance, the danger. But then he noticed how the fields, empty though they were, looked like a patchwork quilt from this angle. A river ran like a ribbon through the dense forests out to the glittering sea. It was breathtaking to see the world from up here.

Ernest tapped his shoulder solidly and Harvey’s wonder evaporated. He passed the message to Naomi, but made no move to let go of her. Immediately, she grabbed the joystick and banked them in a southern direction. He was pretty sure she let out some sort of celebratory cheer. Only a few minutes passed and the edge of Pelican Town came into view. The finer details were obscured to him, but a smile crossed his face as they flew over the town square, the clinic, the restored community building. Seeing the familiar in a new way was enough to make him relax slightly, his vice grip around her middle loosen. 

Naomi squeezed his hand and then pressed it to the joystick with hers. For a few seconds they held it together, and then she let go. A laugh fell out of him, half elation and half terror, as he realized  _ he was flying an airplane _ . Carefully he guided the plane west, and Cherry Wine Farm came into view. He watched her look down at her home, deep fondness apparent on the half of her face he could see. Then she glanced back at him; he was pretty sure he’d never seen her look so proud. If he was honest, he was pretty proud of himself too.

All too soon, Ernest took back control and steered them back to the farm where they started. As they landed, Harvey realized his face and fingers had gone numb from the cold and he was shaking from the leftover adrenaline. But he was still flying high--nearly literally.

“See you in a couple months, Naomi!” Ernest called as they were heading back up the hill.

“See you then! Thank you!” Naomi replied with a wave. 

As they reached the top of the hill, Harvey turned back around to watch Ernest and Gertie taxi back towards the farm house.

“Look at me,” he said, laughing again. He held up his hands, still trembling even as he pulled off his hat to run a hand through his hair. “That was… That was… Naomi, that was  _ AMAZING _ !!!” She was grinning up at him as he grabbed her shoulders for a moment before jumping away to pace--he just had to much  _ energy _ right now, he couldn’t stand still. “The valley! And the curves! And the sky!! And I got to--we both got to fly!!  _ I flew an airplane today, Naomi!!! _ ”

He could run all the way back to Pelican Town. He could swim the Gem Sea all the way to Gotoro. When was the last time he felt this bright, this exuberant?? He couldn’t remember.

“That--that was…” He took a breath as he stared towards where he last saw the plane. He shook his head, and laughed again. “I don’t even have words to describe…”

“Happy birthday,” Naomi said with a smile.

He turned to look at her, just gazing at her for a long moment. He was… stunned, touched, overwhelmed that she’d put all this thought and effort into his birthday despite this thing between them being so new. He crossed to her, taking her face in his hands and just studying her lovely features for a moment.

“Thank you, honey. So much,” he breathed.

Yes, it was love. Harvey was in love with Naomi, he could feel it as sure as his heartbeat. And if it wasn’t only their third date he might have told her as much. So, instead, he tried to show her with the most heartfelt, yet reverent kiss he’d ever given anyone. As if he would never kiss anyone else ever again, and god, he hoped he wouldn’t. But one kiss was not near enough to cover nor convey the depth of everything he felt for her. So he tried again and again and again, and he promised himself he’d keep trying for as long as she let him.

**Author's Note:**

> Can't stop thinking about this nervous doctor lad. It's getting to be a problem. Let me know your thoughts below! <3, Kaitlyn


End file.
